Deceitful Duplicity
by KristenLynn
Summary: 1st place winner, AVD O/S contest. I sank to my knees at the altar, staring at the girl who was now standing in front of me. "I don't understand..." A story of deceit, duplicity, and disastrous consequences. AU/AH, OOC. M for language/lemons


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**Entry for the Anti Valentine's-Day o/s contest**

Title:

**Deceitful Duplicity**

**Penname: **KristenLynn

**Rating: **M/NC-17

**Characters: (Main characters): **Well, I can't really tell you b/c it would defeat the purpose of my set up. LOL… But if you need at least one name, then you can go with Bella…

**Summary:** AVD O/S contest entry. _I sank to my knees at the altar, staring at the girl who was now standing in front of me._ _"I don't understand."_ A story of deceit, duplicity, and disastrous consequences. AU/AH, OOC. M for language/lemons

**Disclaimer 1: **Stop!!! Please look at the title of the contest (and hell, the name of the story) before continuing with this story. If you are looking for a HEA, don't read any further; I will tell you bluntly up front that this will **_not_** be a happy one (although I hope that it will still be an interesting read).

**Disclaimer 2:** Stephenie owns 'em. I'm just making them misbehave and act WAY out of character…

Thanks to all who read, reviewed and voted in the AVD contest. I appreciate your support!

Thanks also to my betas moonlightdreamer33, nowforruin, and kaydee1005

* * *

**~ Present Day ~**

I stood at the altar, nervously waiting. I was ready to get this over with, to get started with my new life. I glanced around the sanctuary, taking in the congregation, the men standing up with me—my family and best friends—and my parents, who had just been seated in the front row. Looks of pride and contentment adorned their faces, and I sent a warm smile in their direction. My father's blue eyes crinkled back at me, and my mother daintily wiped the happy tears from her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief, her caramel-colored hair hiding her tears from any onlookers. My parents had been waiting for this day for a while. Waiting for me to settle down.

I was getting married today.

The soft background music changed into the first processional march. I watched as several women in silk or satin—or whatever the fuck they wore in weddings these days—floated down the aisle, taking up their positions on the other side of the altar. Each one smiled at me as they passed, excited for their friend. My heart rate picked up a bit as the enormity of what I was getting ready to do sank in.

Suddenly, the room fell completely silent. The air of pregnant expectancy was shattered when a small boy—the young son of one of the bridesmaids—began walking down the aisle, ringing a bell.

Music broke out again—the wedding march this time—and my eyes were drawn to the back of the room. I gasped as she stepped out from behind a door, finally revealed to me in all of her bridal glory. I felt a wide smile emerge on my lips. She was a vision of ethereal beauty; her gown had a tight bodice that emphasized her ample chest. Beneath the high waist-line, the material clung loosely to her hips and abdomen, hinting at, yet hiding, the rounded fullness behind the floating, flowing material. Her dark hair was pinned on the top of her head in an intricate up-do. Her veil was applied at the crown of her head, but it didn't cover her face—leaving her warm brown eyes completely visible to me. The nervousness and insecurity drained from my body as I latched onto her gaze, unable to look away as she walked towards me.

I smiled, absolutely sure in that moment that I had made the right decision.

Her cheeks were flushed and her full lips exploded into a magnificent smile when she finally came to a halt in front of me. Her father handed her off, kissing her on the forehead before placing her hand in my own. Together, we turned to face the minister. He performed a short homily, telling us about the joys of marriage and what our commitment would mean. Then he turned to the congregation and asked the rhetorical question that never elicited a response.

"If anyone objects to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

I stared lovingly into her eyes, pledging my troth silently in practice of my soon-to-be-spoken vows, ignoring any distracting noises. But I was torn from my reverie when the eyes I was losing myself in suddenly pinched and turned away from me. I heard a noise, and turned my head in its direction.

A small figure had stood up about half-way back in the middle of one of the pews.

"Yes?" the minister asked, warily.

I heard the creaking and squeaking of the wooden benches as over two hundred people turned to identify the cause of the disturbance. At the sound of her soft voice, my heart immediately sank into the lowest pits of my stomach.

"I object."

*

**~ 3 months earlier ~**

The door flew open before I even had the chance to knock. I was immediately engulfed in long, lithe limbs and flowing, mahogany tresses. I wrapped my arms around her small frame, hugging tightly, inhaling the intoxicating scent of strawberries and vanilla that always clung to her skin. Her small mouth began attacking my collarbone, my neck, my cheeks, and finally my mouth—anything it could find. I stepped into her house, slamming the door shut with my foot as I eagerly returned her frantic kisses.

Her arms were wrapped around my shoulders, her legs tightly clamped against my waist. I took two steps forward so that I pressed her back against the wall opposite of the door. Her head fell back with a moan as I simultaneously thrust my hips forward into hers and sunk my teeth into the delicate skin at the juncture of her neck. I dropped a hand to the hem of her skirt and shoved it underneath, groaning ardently when I realized that she wasn't wearing any panties. I groaned again as my fingers met hot, silken wetness. She tilted her hips rhythmically against my hand, allowing my fingers to dip inside her in a rapid pace. Her hands fumbled with my belt and the closure of my pants. She moaned when she finally freed my aching cock, cradling it reverently in her hands, stroking gently.

She directed me to the slick wetness that dripped from her molten core, and I pulled my hand away so that I could replace my fingers with my throbbing cock. Without prelude, I sheathed myself as deeply as possible. We both groaned in response to my possession.

I established a furious pace, pushing us both forward rapidly, pounding into her wet well over and over again. The sound of slapping skin and soft grunts and moans filled the entryway, echoing off the marble floors of her home. Sooner than either of us wanted, I felt her tight walls begin to clamp down on me.

"Oh, Bella…" I groaned as the tell-tale tingles began to build in my abdomen.

"Yes!" she hissed, throwing her head back, thrashing it wildly against the wall, and tightening her legs around me.

Her clenching walls sucked hungrily at my dick, pulling me in further, and I cursed vehemently as I released violently within her.

"Fuck!"

She collapsed against my chest, laughing, and I tightened my arms underneath her ass and thighs, holding her in place as I carried her to the couch. I dropped backwards onto the soft fabric—I was still deep inside her—and began running my hands up and down her arms in a comforting manner.

"I take it you missed me?" I asked with a satisfied chuckle. It was a rhetorical question—I hadn't even made it through the door before she had attacked me.

"Yes," she sighed. "I've missed you so much."

I squeezed her tightly.

"Me, too," I sighed back, burying my nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. I had missed her. I missed her openness, her honesty. Her laughter and quick smile. Her flashing eyes and delectable body. The feel of my cock buried in her hot, wet core.

_Oh my fucking God, this had to be the best sex of my life!_

She pushed up in order to look at me. I felt our combined bodily fluids pooling at the juncture where I was still joined with her, dripping from her depths. She sat up, and I groaned when the tightening of muscles in her abdomen and groin caused her walls to clamp around me. I felt my semi-tumescent cock begin to harden again.

She was looking at me intently, and somewhat nervously, when she answered, "That's good."

I chuckled again. "I think so, too," I said as I thrust my hips upwards against her.

She gasped, then groaned. "Oh baby…"

I was getting ready to go for round two when she surprised me by rising off my lap, removing her wet heat. I looked at her with a questioning frown. She settled at my side, her body reclined against mine, her hand coming to rest on my chest. She rubbed absently.

We sat in silence for a few moments, and eventually, I felt her take a deep breath. Without looking at me, she finally spoke.

"We need to talk…"

My heart dropped at her words, and I stiffened in anticipation. No conversation that started with those four words ever ended well.

"About what?" I asked as calmly as possible.

She looked up at me, her uncertainty painfully exposed by the openness of her gaze.

"Do you love me?" she asked quietly.

I nodded. I couldn't verbalize it, but I did. _Oh, God in heaven, forgive me_, but I did.

She sighed in relief and smiled widely, reaching up to cup my cheek. "Good. Because you know how much I love you. I know that we jumped into this pretty quick, but I have never felt this way about anyone before. I know that there are logistical issues to overcome, but…"

She paused, looking away, sighing deeply. Although I could barely hear her next whispered words, they simultaneously sounded as if they had been shouted directly into my ear with a megaphone.

"I'm pregnant."

My heart stopped, as did my softly rubbing fingers. I felt, rather than heard, her look up to my stony face. She nudged me.

"Baby? Did you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you," I answered in a robotic, cold voice.

At my tone, she pulled back, her eyes frantically searching my own.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked nervously.

I pushed myself up and turned to sit upright, my feet on the floor. I shoved my hands into my hair, gripping tightly, pulling. Thinking.

_What the hell was I going to do?_

My brain began whirling in a million different directions, conjuring all possible solutions. I finally realized that there was only one option. I would do what I had to do in this situation. I turned to look at her, resigned to—yet at the same time terrified of—my decision.

_What choice did I really have?_

I was getting married.

*

**~ 3 months earlier ~**

I was waiting impatiently at the hotel bar for Bella to arrive. I hadn't seen her in the three weeks that had passed since our initial meeting, yet we had talked just about every day. It was fortuitous that I was traveling to Phoenix this week for business—I would get to see her sooner than expected, not to mention the fact that I didn't have to come up with a legitimate excuse to be here. I had been absolutely worthless in my meetings today, concerned only with the moment when I would get to see her face again. Waiting for tonight. I had been crawling out of my skin with anticipation for the entire day, and the closer that moment got, the more I craved its arrival.

I was now on my third cocktail, and I was beginning to feel the effects. It didn't stop me from realizing the exact second she walked through the door; I felt a calm sense of awareness—of rightness—settle around me. She slipped into the vacant seat next to me a second later.

"Hi!" she greeted.

"Hey," I returned, turning to look at her, drinking her in. I reached out to brush my fingers across the soft skin of her cheek, letting my eyes tell her all that I wanted to say, but couldn't verbalize.

Her eyes flared in response, turning molten, the rich chocolate hue turning darker in color and texture with awareness.

"You wanna get out of here?" she asked breathlessly.

I was out of my chair in a flash. I grabbed her hand, tugging her to her feet. I tossed a few bills on the table to cover my tab and practically ran from the room in my haste to be with her. We didn't even make it to the room before my hands and lips were all over her. Hell, we didn't even make it to the fucking elevator before I molested her mouth with my own, fisting her mahogany tresses tightly in my hands as I plunged my tongue deeply into the silken depths of her mouth. I pulled back, a sheepish smile on my face when the elevator pinged and the door opened, disgorging the people who were arriving at the lobby. She laughed in return, but I saw the embarrassed color rise to her cheeks when she registered the looks that the passing people were sending in our direction. There was only one reason for us to be going up to my room, and from the knowing looks on the faces of our fellow hotel-mates, they knew exactly what that reason was.

Luckily, no one else was waiting to ascend to the rooms above. When the door closed behind us, I pushed her roughly against the mirrored wall and resumed my sensual attack. Her head fell back with a throaty moan when my lips found the tender skin of her neck. Her hands rose to my chest, and I realized that she must have undone the buttons of my shirt, because suddenly I was overwhelmed by the feel of her small, cool fingers on my nipples. She flicked and pinched, and I gasped in pleasure, spearing her to the wall with my groin. She wiggled her trapped hips against mine, and I thrust my already throbbing cock against her. We were still both fully clothed, and I chafed at the irritating barriers. I shoved my hand beneath her shirt, feathering up her ribcage to cup her breast in my palm. We both moaned at the sensation of my hand brushing across her pebbled nipple.

The pinging of the elevator, which signified our arrival on my floor, barely registered in my ears. But somehow, when the doors slid open, I managed to disentangle our intertwined limbs and straighten our clothing. I placed a soft kiss on her pouting lips, and taking her hand, I led her down the hall to my room.

I walked straight to the bed, sitting down, and settling her so that she straddled my hips. She whimpered when the evidence of my arousal pressed hotly against her center, and she ground her hips roughly against me. I recaptured her mouth with my own as I fell backwards onto the bed, carrying her with me. We undressed in a flurry of rapid and uncoordinated movements, each of us desperate for the feel of naked skin.

And suddenly, her wet heat was pressed tightly against me. I hissed raggedly as my cock slid through her wet folds. She was so fucking wet… and just as ready for me as I was for her. She shifted her hips so that I was poised at her entrance and began sinking down onto my rock-hard and aching cock. I put a hand on her hip, halting her movements.

"Do I need protection?"

"I've started birth control now."

I nodded, releasing my hand. "Good," I replied as I thrust upwards into her molten depths.

We both gasped in pleasure. I rocked my hips against hers, reveling in the breathy gasps she made with each of my upward thrusts. She began grinding down against me, each move of her hips a perfect contrast to my own. We were both panting, the mewling whimpers she made driving me fucking insane with desire. Dual desires: the desire for my own release, but also the desire to see pleasure spread across her face first.

I reached down between our bodies to brush my finger against her clit, and she jerked in response. I touched her again, this time pressing firmly, and she tossed her head back in a gesture of wild abandon, moaning loudly.

"Oh! Yesssss…."

_Fuck yes!_ God, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and her mouth was opened slightly to allow for each panting breath she took. I slammed my hips into hers with increasing force and speed, eliciting the most delectable grunts and groans. Her hands pressed tightly against my chest, and as I pressed my fingers against her clit once again, she flicked hers across my nipples. This time I sucked in a ragged breath, emitting a guttural groan as she pinched slightly.

Heat exploded in my abdomen, and tingles radiated out from where our bodies joined, sending frissons of sensation spiraling through my body. Registering my reaction, she pinched again, and my hips jerked wildly into hers. She dropped her head forward and opened her eyes to look at me with an all-knowing smile. Raising a hand to her mouth, she licked her finger, and then dropped the damp digit back to my chest where she rubbed the slick wetness all around my now-overly sensitive nipple.

"Bella…" I warned, lifting up to try to capture her lips with my own.

She laughed slightly, pulling back, denying me my desire. She flicked her fingers and pinched again, nearly causing me to come undone. The triumphant smile on her face revealed that she was quite aware of the fact that her ministrations were driving me wild. Surprised, I realized that she wanted to play… Good thing it was a game with which I was familiar.

Dropping my head, my lips captured one of her rigid nipples. I sucked rhythmically, the tugs with my teeth and tongue matching the thrusts of my hips. I felt, rather than heard, her indrawn breath. My hand was still stuck between our bodies, resting motionless on her clit. I rectified that oversight, beginning to move my fingers in slow, deliberate circles intended to entice. She moaned softly, moving her hands so that her fingers sunk into my hair. She held my head tightly against her chest.

What started as playful quickly morphed into something more… I tilted my head back to look at her, marveling in the vision of absolute awe that her face projected. My free arm circled her waist, pulling her flush against me, and my hips slowed their frantic thrusting, adopting a deeper, more intimate pace.

"Bella…"

I moaned her name, and her eyes flew open. We stared intently at one another as our bodies rocked steadily, each of my upward thrusts met by an opposing downward motion of her own. It was so slow that I just about pulled out each time. And each time when I sank deeply back into her tight, wet heat, I felt like my entire body was sinking into hers as well. Like _I_ was sinking into her, becoming more and more ensnared with each thrust.

I felt her release building in her body and watched the impending storm of its arrival build in her eyes. When milk chocolate became dark cocoa and lost focus, I pressed my fingers firmly against the tiny bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. She shattered around me, her pulsing walls sucking me in, hugging me tightly and demanding that I respond in like. I groaned loudly as I spilled into her, knowing that I would never be the same again.

"Wow…" she whispered, as she slumped forward onto my chest. My arm tightened around her waist, cradling her body against mine.

_Wow. Yeah… that about said it all._

We lay together for quite a while afterwards, wrapped in each other. Happy simply being together. No talking, only soft touches and gentle kisses. We made love again, slowly—a tender and infinitely patient joining of bodies and souls.

I felt her loss immediately when she finally pushed out of my arms and headed towards the bathroom, picking up her clothing as she went. When she emerged a few minutes later, I was disappointed to find her fully dressed. She walked to the bed and dropped a kiss on my forehead.

"Stay," I pleaded with her, my voice strangely needy and panicked to my own ears.

She glanced briefly to the clock on the bedside table and smiled dazedly. "It's late. I have to go. I have to be at work in less than six hours."

I looked over. It was 2:15 am. We had been in the room for almost seven hours. Where had the time gone? I was so addicted to her, to being with her, that the time had flown by without my knowledge.

She turned to walk to the door, and I quickly scrambled up so that I could usher her out. I grabbed her hips from behind and planted a soft kiss on the back of her neck just as she reached the door. She moaned as she leaned back into me, pushing her hands into my hair to hold my head in place.

"This really sucks," she complained.

I hummed in response.

"Next time you come to Phoenix, you're staying with me. Next time, I want to wake up in your arms."

*

**~ 3 weeks earlier ~**

I met Bella in the bar at six o'clock, as soon as both of our meetings were concluded. We had a drink, and then migrated to the hotel restaurant where we ate a leisurely dinner, talking about anything and everything. It felt so natural, so right; I couldn't believe that I had just met her the day before. The sexual tension surrounding us was thicker than a London fog—you could practically cut it with a knife. I knew that she felt it as well; it was obvious by the way her erect nipples poked at the front of her silk shirt and the way that her tongue continually darted out to lick her lips. Each time I saw the small pink tip emerge, my cock stiffened further. Each time, I had to work harder to suppress my groan. I wanted her, and it was pretty fucking obvious that she wanted me, too.

After we paid the bill, I reached out to take her hand. Her breath halted. She raised her eyes to mine, and I asked her silently if she was ready to go. She took a deep breath, squeezed my fingers, and nodded. I rose from my chair, and still holding her hand, I escorted her from the dining room.

The trip to my room was silent, yet I could feel the electric awareness flashing between us. As soon as I ushered her through the door, I dropped the pretense of restraint and shoved my hands roughly into her hair, pulling her face to mine. Our mouths met in a desperate clashing of teeth and tongues, her soft groans and grunts urging me on. Still kissing, I walked us to the bed and tipped her down upon it when it hit the backs of her legs. She looked surprised to find herself sprawled on my bed, but I didn't give her anytime to adjust—or object—as I came down hard upon her, resuming out frantic kissing.

Before I knew it, she was gloriously naked beneath me. Her body was beautiful—small, but full breasts, a tiny waist, gently flaring hips, and long, lean limbs with a slight musculature that gave her shape and texture. I worshiped every inch of exposed skin with my hands, mouth, and tongue. She writhed beneath me, egging me on by moaning my name. I worked my way up her body until we were pressed together intimately. Her wetness coated me as I slid my cock between her folds, testing her readiness. I groaned in longing and anticipated that she would do the same. I was therefore unprepared for her response.

She tensed.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"I've never done this before," she replied shakily.

"What? Picked a guy up at a bar? Had a one-night stand?" I asked with a chuckle. But in all honesty, I had never done anything like this before, either.

"Well, that either…" she finally whispered. She nodded, then shook her head, then shrugged her shoulders, ducking her head, hiding her eyes from my gaze. Heated color tinged her cheeks. I continued to wait until she looked back up at me.

When I saw the embarrassment and indecision in her eyes, it finally dawned on me. "Wait… you've never had sex before?"

She flushed brighter, but nodded in assent.

"Jesus…" I cursed under my breath

"But I want to. Now. With you," she clarified quickly, looking at me desperately.

"Bella, are you sure?" I asked, hoping that she would answer in the affirmative, but still wanting, needing, to give her an out. I might have been horny as hell, but I was not an asshole.

"Yes." She nodded her head fervently. "I've never felt like this before. I've never _wanted_ it before."

I nodded in response, and her arms tightened around me. Her eyes stared into mine, her fear and excitement both palpable. As slowly as possible, I inched forward, the head of my cock breaching her maiden entrance. She gasped, and then bit her lip as I began to fill her. I reached the barrier of resistance and paused.

"This is probably going to hurt a bit, but stay still, and it will pass," I told her gently.

She nodded in response, biting her lip even harder. I thrust forward quickly, pushing through the resistance, and she gasped. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to comfort her as well as quell my need to thrust. Her walls clamped down hard against me, in rejection of the foreign intrusion, and the tight throbbing almost caused me to blow my load. I gritted my teeth against the overwhelming need to release immediately.

After a moment, she relaxed, and then tilted her hips against mine in an experimental manner. I groaned softly.

"Hold still. Don't move," I commanded gently.

She looked at me in confusion.

"You're so tight, baby, that I'm probably not going to last. Just give me a minute, okay?"

Her confused frown morphed into a small smile and she relaxed beneath me. After a moment, I began moving slowly within her. It was a bit awkward at first, with Bella trying to find a rhythm that worked for her, but eventually we settled into a slow, steady pace. I felt the pressure building in my abdomen and knew I was close. Her panting breaths and grunting groans told me that she was as well. I reached down between our bodies to press against her clit at the exact moment that I thrust forward, and she screamed my name, her body arching off the bed. I continued to thrust, rubbing circles against her clit with my fingers, as she rode out the waves of pleasure. Once her body began to relax, I picked up my pace, driving myself to the edge. Then I pulled out and spilled my seed onto the sheets.

I gathered her into my arms afterwards, burying my face in long mahogany tresses that smelled of strawberries and vanilla.

"You okay?" I asked gently.

She sighed. "I'm perfect."

*

**~ 1 day earlier ~**

I stomped into the hotel bar at the end of the day. God, I fucking hated these stupid training seminars. Not to mention, I was having second thoughts about some of the decisions I had recently made in my personal life. I plopped my ass onto a bar stool and ordered a shot of Jack. I flicked it back with ease when the bartender set it down in front of me, signaling for another. After the second shot of whisky hit the back of my throat, I figured I should slow down. The Jack and Coke had just appeared in front of me when the chair next to mine was pulled back.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw a beautiful woman—long dark hair, milky skin, and a perfect heart-shaped face. I couldn't help but stare at her beauty. She ordered a drink, and then turned to me with a smile.

The irritation that had been surrounding me like a black cloud rapidly lifted at the sight of her smile. I smiled in return. We started talking about what brought us there—both of us were attending meetings. Taking our drinks, we migrated to one of the low-slung cocktail tables that littered the bar. We talked for hours about nothing and everything.

"You know," she said, cocking her head to the side, "we never properly introduced ourselves earlier. I'm Bella Swan"

She stuck out her hand, and I gripped in firmly. A tingle of awareness ran up my arm, followed by a frisson of unease. I frowned for a second, but then pushed the strange feeling away. I raised my eyes to meet hers and smiled widely.

"Well, it's been really nice talking to you Bella. I'm Jasper. Jasper Whitlock."

"Nice to meet you, too, Jasper. Will you be here tomorrow as well?"

"Yes. I'll be here for the next three days."

She smiled in return. "Tomorrow's my last night. You wouldn't want to meet for dinner, would you? I don't really know anyone here, and it's been quite lonely. I've had more fun tonight than I have in a long time."

My smile widened. "I'd love to," I replied. "What time shall we meet?"

"How about we meet here at the bar at six?" she asked, somewhat tentatively.

"It's a date."

*

**~ 2 weeks earlier ~**

Valentine's Day.

The bane of every man's existence.

God, I hated that shit. I hated the commercialism of the whole fucking day. I mean, seriously, did there really have to be a day set aside solely so that you could tell your significant other how much you loved them? Yet, it had become a tradition, along with the purchasing of chocolates and insanely overpriced flowers. Really? Seventy dollars a dozen for fucking long-stemmed roses?

_Fuck me. _

Yet, there I was, trudging home, toting my heart-shaped box of chocolates and the requisite bouquet of flowers.

_Alice better fucking appreciate this._

Of course, I knew that she was really expecting more than chocolates and flowers this year. We had been dating for five years now, ever since our senior year in college, and we had started talking about a more permanent arrangement recently. Or, rather, _she_ had started talking about wanting a more permanent relationship. Hinting that Valentine's Day was coming up, just around the corner…

So, I was now also carrying a small, black, velvet box that contained a 1.5 carat diamond engagement ring. I had a feeling that she knew about it as well, since the fucking jeweler had called last week. Even though his message had been vague, I had seen the excitement in Alice's eyes when she had relayed that particular message.

I wasn't 100% certain that this was what I really wanted, but everyone seemed to expect if of me—Alice, my parents, my younger brother, Edward, and even all of my friends. Emmett had gotten married last year and claimed that it was the best thing that had happened to him. I didn't exactly know what he meant, or see the draw, because the fun-loving guy who had been my roommate for years was now long-gone; a pussy-whipped, indecisive fuck was all that was left in his place. Yeah, he had to ask Rosalie—his wife—for _permission_ before he could go to a game or grab a bite to eat with me anymore. I wasn't ready for that to be my life.

But I looked at Alice, and I couldn't see my future without her in it. So, if this was what she wanted, I'd do it for her.

I opened the door to our condo, glad to find that she was not in the front part. I quickly stowed the flowers and jewelry in a safe hiding spot. I would set up the proposal scene later, after she left. As much as it wasn't a surprise that it was coming, I did want it to be a surprise in how I did it.

Walking down the hallway to our bedroom, I heard her happily humming. I popped my head around the doorframe to find her clad only in a silky bra and panty set, and felt my dick harden automatically. She was really beautiful, although not in the traditional sense; she wasn't stick-thin like most girls these days, but pleasantly plump—full-figured—with large breasts, rounded hips, an ass that any black man would be proud to call his own, and the most intriguing swell to her lower abdomen. I sauntered forward to caress each of her luscious curves.

"You about ready to go?"

She looked at me with a smile, standing on her toes to brush my lips. "Yup, I've just gotta throw my dress on, then I'll be ready."

As she sashayed towards the closet, wiggling her hips provocatively, I realized that she had probably done this on purpose—waited for me half-naked. She knew I fucking loved her curves. My suspicions were confirmed when she glanced over her shoulder and grinned at me as I very obviously rearranged my very noticeable erection. I shrugged and grinned at her in return.

Then again, maybe getting married wasn't such a bad idea after all.

*

**~ Present Day ~**

The collective gasp of the audience drew me back to the present. I swiveled my head back around to Alice, sensing the rising panic in her, seeing it in her eyes.

"Baby?" she pleaded. "Jasper, what's going on?"

"I don't know," I assured her. But it was an empty assurance. I did know, and my heart dropped even further to land on the dirty ground as my own feet—driven by my own fucking stupidity—trampled it thoroughly.

My eyes, as well as those of the nearly four hundred people present in the sanctuary, followed the slim form as she pushed her way to the end of the pew. I heard the gasps that followed her progress, but it didn't dawn on me what might be causing the furor until she finally stepped out into the aisle.

The whole crowd gasped, then began twittering, as her hand dropped to her obviously distended stomach. She spoke again, more emphatically this time.

"I object."

I heard Alice's rapidly indrawn breath, and I watched in morbid fascination as her eyes raked the form now making its way down the aisle, her gaze obviously drawn to the bulging, very pregnant stomach. Her brown eyes snapped back to meet my own, spitting liquid flames at me, burning me with the intensity of their fiery accusations. She dropped my hand.

"How could you!" she screamed, hitting me repeatedly with her bouquet of now-bruised and broken white flowers—they were beginning to turn brown from her efforts.

I couldn't even fight her, because I knew that she was in the right. I had fucked up. Big time.

She collapsed to the ground following her floral assault, tears spilling from her eyes and sobs ripping from her chest. I was shocked into immobility, standing there covered with flower petals, shaking my head in denial, not knowing what to do. I raised my eyes to the minister, who looked as shocked as I felt—I doubted that anything like this had ever happened here in the respectable sanctuary of this church. I slowly swiveled my head towards the now buzzing audience, although it was weird; I knew that they were talking because I could see mouths moving and hands gesticulating, but I couldn't hear anything beyond the blood rushing through my head.

Glancing at my parents, my fall from grace was completed; shock, disapproval, and utter disappointment radiated from them in seismic waves that nearly bowled me over. I fell back a step.

A sobbing voice whispered, "Someone, _please_, get me out of here."

I didn't recognize the voice, but I realized that it must have been Alice when Edward—my brother, my best friend—stepped around me to go kneel at her side. He picked her up, cradling her to his chest like a child, and shot me an incredibly horrified look. He whispered softly into her ear, and she turned to bury her head in his chest, sobbing loudly. He carried her from the room.

I sank to my knees at the altar, trying to wrap my head around all that had just happened, staring absently at the girl who was now standing directly in front of me. Once they realized the show was over, the congregation began filing out. I sat on the steps unmoving until we were the last two bodies remaining in the sanctuary.

"I don't understand," I muttered, looking at her in absolute confusion. I thought back to the last conversation we'd had three months previous.

"_Bella… you can't have this baby. We can't have this baby," I finally replied._

"_What?" she asked, confusion brimming in her eyes. "I know this wasn't planned, but—"_

_I cut her off. "No, it most definitely wasn't planned. Bella, I thought you were on birth control!" I practically shouted at her._

"_I am, was…" she replied tentatively._

"_Then how the fuck did this happen?" I demanded._

"_I don't know," she whimpered. "But it did, and now we have to deal with it. I am pregnant."_

"_Well, it's still early, so there's time to take care of it," I huffed angrily._

_Her hand dropped to her stomach, protectively, and her mouth fell open in a small gasp. "Jasper, I can't 'get rid of it'! It's got a heartbeat, and I saw its fingers and toes on the ultrasound today…"_

_I stared at her in abject horror. "How far along are you?"_

"_The doctor estimated fifteen weeks."_

"_So all this time, and you didn't tell me?" I accused angrily._

"_I didn't know," she pleaded. "I swear… I had no clue."_

"_How the fuck can you have no clue that you were pregnant for over three months?" I yelled._

"_It must have happened that first time after I started the pill. I'm taking the one where you only have your period four times a year. The doctor warned me that the hormones would make me feel nauseous and that my boobs would hurt—like really bad PMS symptoms. I never thought it was anything else until I took my week off last week and never started my period. I called to ask, and they recommended taking a pregnancy test. It came back positive."_

_She shrugged._

"_So you knew last week and didn't tell me?"_

"_I didn't want to say anything to you until I saw the doctor. I had an appointment earlier today, and since I knew you were coming, I figured that I'd tell you in person rather than on the phone. Of course, I expected you to react a bit better than this, maybe even be happy about it…"_

_I huffed. "Well, Bella, I am definitely NOT happy about this. This is a disaster. We can't have a fucking baby!"_

_She cringed at my vehemence. But then a resolute look emerged on her features._

"_Why not?"_

"_Because…"_

"_Not good enough, Jasper. We don't have to get married yet, but—"_

"_Married?" I asked incredulously. "Who said anything about us getting married?"_

"_Well, I just figured, well… I love you and you love me, and now we're having a baby…" Her hand dropped down to rub her stomach tenderly._

"_Fuck!" I cursed, shoving my hands into my hair. "Bella, we're not going to get married. Ever. And you can't have this baby."_

_My voice was cold, resolute, and as I watched, realization dawned in her eyes. I pushed myself up from her couch, looking for my clothing. _

"_Why not?" she asked, hesitantly, obviously knowing that she did not want to hear my answer._

"_Because I'm already getting married!" I shouted at her. _

_Her jaw dropped, and I saw tears well in her eyes, but I could not relent._

"_How long?" she asked._

"_How long, what?" I asked in return._

"_How long have you been engaged, Jasper?" _

_I stared at her for a moment, my hands clenching onto fists at my side. I didn't want to answer that question. But she continued to stare at me silently, accusingly._

_I huffed. "Since Valentine's Day."_

_She gasped in response, the tears spilling over to run down her cheeks unchecked. _

_I haphazardly threw on my cloths in my rush to get to the door. I needed to leave._

_She was still sitting on the couch, naked and looking shocked, when I turned around to address her. _

"_Bella, I expect you to take care of this."_

_I pulled out my wallet and tossed a stack of bills on her entryway table. Without another word, I pushed through her door. It hurt like hell, and a part of me felt like I was leaving my heart bleeding and crying on the couch right beside her, but it was the decision that had to be made. I was getting married. To Alice. In three months time._

_I found a hotel downtown, and the first thing I did was cancel the phone that I had activated after we first met. I had opened a new account rather than give her my current cell or home phone numbers; I couldn't have Alice finding evidence of my infidelity. I was glad that I had given Bella my middle name—my mother's maiden name—as my last name when we first met. There was no way she could track me down._

"I don't understand…" I muttered for the second time. I raised my eyes to look at her. "How could you do this to me?"

She stared at me for a moment, and I watched the emotions battle for dominance on her face. Anger finally won out and her eyes narrowed.

"How could I do this to you?" she shouted. "Really, Jasper… I think that the appropriate question here is: How could _you_ do this to _me_? You knew that you were engaged when we met, yet _you_ still pursued _me_. You let me fall in love with you and allowed me to believe that you had fallen in love with me, when you knew that it couldn't be. You knew that I was a virgin when we met, yet you still fucked me. I realize now that's all I ever was to you. A roll in the hay. A fuck. Just a distraction to entertain you when you were away from home. And then, you refused to take responsibility for your 'mistake', leaving me alone to deal with the repercussions of _your_ actions."

I cringed at her words.

"My family has disowned me and I've lost my job. This baby is the only thing I have left, and you callously told me to 'take care of it' like the selfish son-of-a-bitch I didn't realize you were until it was too late. Well, guess what, Jasper? If you had known me at all, you would have known that I wasn't capable of that." She paused in order to glare at me. "You owe me, and this child," she dropped her hand to tenderly rub her pregnant stomach, "_your_ child, more than that. You _will_ take responsibility because this child and I will be in your life every day until he or she turns eighteen. Although, if you think that I will let you into my heart or into my body ever again, you have another thing coming."

I cringed again, knowing she was justified in her righteous anger.

"How could I do this to you? Jasper, I _loved_ you with all my heart. I gave you everything—my love, my trust, my faith—just as I'm sure that poor girl standing here today did as well."

She shook her head sadly.

"No, Jasper… I didn't do anything to you. You did this to yourself."

Taking a deep breath and holding her head high, she turned to walk away. When she reached the door to the sanctuary, she paused. I barely heard her spoken words, as she did not turn around when she addressed me the final time.

"I'll be in touch…"

She pushed the door open and stepped through, leaving me broken and absolutely alone. Leaving me to deal with the repercussions of my deceitful duplicity.

*

* * *

A/N: So, was Bella justified? Is Jasper really an asshole, or was he just conflicted? And poor Alice...

What did you guys think?

Sorry this wasn't a happy one, but that's what the contest demanded. Plus, I had been in a really bad mood for a few weeks, so the opportunity to write some angsty, non-HEA stuff came along at a good time, and hopefully got it out of my system.

:)

Again, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all who read, reviewed and voted in the Anti-Valentine's Day contest. I appreciate your support.


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